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Kyler Murray: Watching Murray, it's easy to see why he's rated so highly. He's highly athletic, with a cannon for an arm. You're talking about a guy who is only slightly slower than Lamar Jackson, with arm strength that will be in the elite rung of NFL quarterbacks. In a draft class with no seemingly "sure thing" QBs, Murray is the gamble who has the most tools on offer.

His biggest question mark isn't his height. It's decision making. Murray succeeded in college football on pure athleticism. It's not that he made bad decisions per se. Rather, it's that his athleticism kept him from having to make many hard decisions. When the athletic play was there, he took the athletic play. He didn't have to go deep into progressions, as both the system and his athletic talent provided opportunities to exploit. That he has only one year of starting experience means there's precious little tape of him making the kind of reads he'll need to make at the NFL level.

His second biggest question mark isn't his height either, but his overall bulk. Murray weight in at 207 at the Combine, but his playing weight at Oklahoma was more like 190, and some suggest it went down to 185. That's simply not enough mass to take the beating that an NFL quarterback will receive, even in this don't-touch-them era. Media types were fixated on his height measurement, but NFL types were more concerned about that weigh-in. Weighing 207 won't hurt Murray's athleticism one bit, but the question is if that's a number he can sustain.

Murray is a guy that has played on the stacked winning teams since high school. The deck has been shuffled in his favor, and playing teams that aren't inferior to his is going to be an adjustment for him. He's got great tools, but whether he has the skills to read defenses and the body to hold up in the NFL are big questions. I'd grade him a mid-1st.

Drew Lock: Drew Lock in a clean pocket looks like a top 10 selection. Drew Lock in an unclean pocket looks like a mid-round draft pick.

Lock is an extremely high variance player. He's a gunslinger and someone you can see tearing up defenses in the right situation. He's a guy who can make the challenging throws that only a few special arms can dare attempt. He can throw off-platform, from odd arm angles, meaning he physically can make throws from a poor pocket. But in those poor pockets, the decision making goes out the window. He trusts his arm and he's just gonna throw it.

Unlike the top two guys, Lock isn't a one-year starter, but he really didn't show the passing accuracy to play NFL ball until his senior year. It took him 4 years of starting to get to this point.

Lock helped himself at the Senior Bowl. He followed a good week of practices with being the best QB on the field in the game. He threw an underhand pass in the Senior Bowl because that's the kind of thing this dude would do. He's got an edge to him. There will be memes.

Lock gets compared to Jay Cutler a lot, but he often reminded me of another player: Brett Favre. Don't think about Brett Favre at his Hall of Fame career peak. Think of Brett Favre the 25-year-old quarterback who was driving Mike Holmgren and Steve Mariucci to early gray hairs. Lock isn't quite as freewheeling as Favre, but who ever will be? But he has that same kind of looseness on and off the field as Favre, not as tight at Cutler. He's going to win over the locker room of the team that drafts him.

That high variance worked out for Brett Favre, and it was so-so for Jay Cutler. There's a lot of ways Lock's career could go. He's my #2 QB, though, because he has potential that the rest of the list doesn't. He also has the highest potential of being the draft's Blake Bortles, so, there's that. Still, I'd grade him a late 1st.

Dwayne Haskins: Haskins is a smart QB, probably the QB in the draft whose grasp of the mental game is least in question. He has a quick, compact release that can distribute the ball around the field. Brett Kollman compared him to Jimmy Garoppolo, and that's a good comparison for how he plays: a lot of quick throws, feeding a lot of different receivers in the short and intermediate game.

He has little mobility to offer, regardless of Stephen A Smith calling him "more of a runner". In actuality, he had 108 rushing yards last year (1.4 per carry) and ran the 40 at a Leftwich-ian 5.04 seconds. In an era of increasing QB mobility, he is a traditional pocket-only passer.

Where Haskins raises question marks, besides his lacking mobility, is his ceiling. He has a very good chance of being Matt Stafford, someone that hangs around the middle point of NFL starting QBs. But his tools make it harder to see him going above that.

Like Murray, Haskins only has a year of tape to show, but at least his tape shows a lot more progression reads than Murray's. Still, his tape is full of screen passes and other college-level concepts that are less useful for NFL grading. When he did throw deep, it exposed the fact that his arm power isn't at an elite level.

Haskins is probably the guy most ready to step onto an NFL field and start. There's plenty of value in that. But there's a good chance he will be described at some point in his career as a "system QB". Putting him in a vertical passing offense would likely be a mistake. He's the same sort of QB as Nick Foles, who got that second-tier caliber QB contract this offseason from the Jags. That's where Haskins is most likely to peak. I grade him a 2nd rounder.

Will Grier: Grier is a prolific passer who lacks the arm power for serious 1st round consideration. This guy has New England Patriots written all over him. Both Brady and Garoppolo had arm strength as a knock against them on draft day, and they both physically improved in that area after joining the NFL, as well as got put into an offensive scheme that values quick delivery over making tight throws in holes. I will be so not shocked if Belichick tabs this guy as his next Garoppolo. The Chargers would be another great fit for Grier. Philip Rivers has average at best arm strength, and the offense is tailored to it.

The concern with Grier is that the offense has to fit what he can do, and there's concern that his ceiling could be Andy Dalton, another guy that's made a career out of playing around his limited arm talent, but who obviously is on a much lower tier than those other comparables (with the jury still being out on Jimmy G). I think he belongs as a late-2nd, early-3rd round pick.

Daniel Jones: Daniel Jones was coached at Duke by David Cutcliffe, who coached both Peyton and Eli Manning in college (QB coach for Peyton, head coach for Eli). You're going to hear that a lot come Jones' turn to get drafted.

He's not Peyton Manning, though. He's more like some combination of Eli and Alex Smith. Everything Jones does is... OK. He's entirely unremarkable as a prospect. He has the size you want for a QB, He's decently athletic. He has the throwing power for the NFL, if not anything that's going to challenge the upper tiers of the league. He's got enough mobility to move around and make a few plays on the ground. His decision making is... adequate.

The thing about being coached by Cutcliffe, though, is that you would expect to see more production from Jones than he managed. He was a career 59.9% passer, and only slightly above that as a senior (60.5%). His 6.4 yards per attempt were well below the Manning brothers. His numbers overall were only incrementally better than the previous QB in that offense, who later was an undrafted free agent. To be fair, though, the Duke receivers dropped an absurd number of catchable passes.

Jones is the QB most likely to be overdrafted. I don't think he belongs anywhere near the 1st round. He'd be a 3rd round grade for me.

Tyree Jackson: Jackson is one of my favorite what-if guys in this draft. If Will Grier could be Belichick's next Garoppolo, Jackson could be his next Jacoby Brissett: a guy with franchise QB-level physical gifts who really doesn't know how to play the position yet. Jackson has so many coachable flaws that need fixing, and I think a lot of NFL coaches would not be able to create the environment needed to do that much fixing, but Belichick and his staff does. They only had Brissett for one year before trading him away (which, by the way, was a terrible trade that should have earned more ire from Patriots fans, but the team's continued success - and Brady's lack of decline in 2017-2018 - papered over it). So we didn't get to see how far they could have taken Brissett with more time, but his stint as a starter in Indy showed how far they got him in one year. Tyree Jackson is both bigger and much more athletic than Brissett (he's 6'7", 250 pounds, and he ran a 4.59 40 - those are high draft pick tight end numbers). The odds aren't exactly stacked in Tyree Jackson's favor. I think he screwed up by entering the NFL draft instead of transferring and playing out his final year of NCAA eligibility at a bigger school as a grad student. He needed better QB coaching than he was getting at University of Buffalo, and a year at a top school could have brought him further along. As it is, he's extremely gifted but so rough right now that he's purely a long-term speculative investment.

He's definitely a late-round grade, but on a team that has the time to take on this project, he'd be super interesting.

* Nick Bosa is a carbon copy of his brother. From regular stats to advanced metrics to measureables, they are within the margin of error from each other. Watch their Ohio State tape and you need a timestamp to know which guy you're watching. They're more alike then Henrik and Daniel Sedin. They're more alike than Rick and Nick Bruiser. If Nick Bosa deviates in any meaningful way from Joey at the NFL level, it will be a shock.

I watched a highlights tape of Bosa, and the first play it showed didn't pre-snap spotlight which player Bosa was. But after two steps and just beginning to engage the offensive tackle, I knew immediately which guy it was. Turns out the play was his first sack in college football, tallied in his first ever game in college, as a true freshman. It was the kind of rep that would stand out on the senior tapes of any of the 1st round edge rushers, and it was in his freshman debut.

* The wide receiver position is an isle of misfit toys. There's a whole lot of flawed gems. Three guys that have my eye: AJ Brown, Deebo Samuel, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside.

* AJ Brown doesn't have the long speed to be a top draft pick, but he's a great talent that's likely to go low 1st or high 2nd round. Similar skill set as Juju Smith-Schuster but both heavier and faster.

* Deebo Samuel reminds me of another Jarvis Landry RB-body-at-slot-WR guy that catches and forces missed tackles to rack up YAC. Probably will end up around Round 3 due to lack of skill set for playing outside, buy likely to outperform his draft position

* JJ Arcega-Whiteside is a big, faster-than-expected receiver who caught more contested balls than anyone else in college football. In a draft of flankers and slot guys, he's one of the legitimate split ends. He's very Jordy Nelson, a guy who gets open by using his body rather than speed.

* Jonah Williams feels like a Joe Staley type of left tackle to me, and mocks have him going much later than he should. He's my top tackle. There's a few other good tackles. Jawaan Taylor is an immediate starting RT, big and strong and swallows people up, but not quite the technician you want on the left side. Dalton Risner is crazy strong and probably is a day 1 starting right tackle. Andre Dillard gas great lateral quickness and projects to a left tackle in a zone blocking scheme, but fits less well with a team that runs power.

* Rashan Gary is a physical talent that lacked production. But I think he was played out of position like the Niners have done with Solomon Thomas. Both guys belong inside at 3-technique instead of out on the edge.

* Gary's teammate Chase Winovich is interesting in that he performed very well as an edge rusher in college, but everyone thought his athleticism wasn't great for the NFL game. Then he went to the Combine and ran drills much faster than people expected.

* Montez Sweat has been evaluated like a top 15-20 player, but medical (heart condition) allegedly has him taken off of many draft boards.

I would have to think Oakland had a number of drafts that could compete for this and not even honorable mention. The Bucs 2016 will probably make the list at some point:
-Vernon Hargreaves (bad)
-Noah Spence (constantly injured)
-Roberto Aguayo (Roberto Aguayo)
-Ryan Smith (he tackles on special teams sometimes)
-Caleb Benenoch (bad linemen; best career on this list)
-Devonte Bond (apparently a LB of some sort)
-Dan Vitale (FB, didn't make it out of camp)

It's amazing how a team that's bad at drafting stays bad. Odd how that works.

"I would be insulted if I could figure out exactly what it means."
--*Legion*

Given the pending free agents that the Jags have (Ramsey, Ngakoue, Jack), I think Telvin just made some hard choices easier for the Jaguars. They weren't likely going to be able to keep everyone, and with Ramsey and Ngakoue at premium positions, it looked like they might have a hard time keeping Myles Jack while already paying another LB the big bucks. This story is only hours old, but my early prediction is that Telvin Smith money just became Myles Jack money.

I saw a notification from the NFL app that startled me:Eagles signing former Jaguars QB

Googled it. If Legion spoke about Cody Kessler I cannot recall the details or specifics. Can I get a rundown on whether I should be cautiously optimistic or praying to God that Carson can just not get injured for a change?

I saw a notification from the NFL app that startled me:Eagles signing former Jaguars QB

Googled it. If Legion spoke about Cody Kessler I cannot recall the details or specifics. Can I get a rundown on whether I should be cautiously optimistic or praying to God that Carson can just not get injured for a change?

Kessler has a noodle where his throwing arm is supposed to be. If he ends up on the field, your playbook gets reduced to running plays and curl-flats.

Also, he's from Bakersfield. He wasn't good enough to play QB for Fresno State, so he went to USC.

"Listen, I have so many things to worry about. I'm trying to go out there and play the best football of my life,'' Flacco told reporters Monday following the Broncos' first day of organized team activities. "As far as a time constraint and all of that stuff, I'm not worried about developing guys or any of that. That is what it is. I hope he does it well. I don't look at that as my job. My job is to go win football games for this football team.''

He said basically the same sh*t about Lamar.

NSMike wrote:

How did I live before digital distribution of old, cheap games?

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

You did live before digital distribution of old, cheap games. Now you just play games.

But the whole thing brings into stronger focus the strength of Alex Smith.

Because he did exactly what Flacco is (again, naturally) resisting. Did it twice, actually, each time in extraordinary circumstances.

First, in San Francisco, Smith was having the season of his life. He was leading the league in completion percentage, and his passer rating over 100. Then he suffered a concussion. Smith had bad luck with injuries before, including at least one concussion and an entire season that was missed because the surgeon left a wire in his shoulder.

Yes, those were dysfunctional times. Smith may have been the least prepared No. 1 overall pick in league history. He was a low-level high school recruit, and played only one game — the bowl game his last year in college — believing he’d be an NFL player.

Smith was just 20 years old when the 49ers took him first overall, and the club was an abject disaster. He had a different offensive coordinator every season until Jim Harbaugh was hired. Finally, Smith had someone who knew what they were doing. The 49ers went to the NFC Championship Game that first season but lost on a fluke special teams turnover.

The next year, the concussion. Smith did not complain about the rotten luck. When he was healthy enough to play and Harbaugh chose to stick with Colin Kaepernick, well, Smith privately seethed. But he did not complain.

He helped.

He answered questions for Kaepernick, offered advice on how to attack defenses, and generally served as an aid in the transition from unknown backup to league star.

The 49ers made it all the way to the Super Bowl that year, losing at the very end, by five yards. To this day Smith is convinced they’d have won with him playing. Maybe he’s right. We’ll never know.

The 49ers did Smith a solid, trading him to the Chiefs. Smith had known a trade was coming and he told friends he hoped it was to the Chiefs, especially after they hired Andy Reid as coach.

Smith played the best football of his career in Kansas City. The Chiefs had winning records in each of his five seasons, and made the playoffs four times. In 2017, he led the league in passer rating and — eat it, haters — was the NFL’s best statistical deep passer.

A crumbling defense wrecked that season, the Chiefs unable to keep a 21-3 playoff lead at home. By then, Smith knew he’d change teams again. He’d seen the future everyday in the quarterback room.

The season after the Chiefs traded up to take Patrick Mahomes, Smith’s first priority was always his own play. Let’s keep this honest. He didn’t martyr his own career. But he did swallow the disappointment of a team close to a Super Bowl using two first-round picks to choose someone who not only wouldn’t help that first year but would soon be the reason Smith needed to sell his house.

Mahomes has said he thought he took the game seriously when the Chiefs selected him. Thought he worked hard. Thought he knew what that life was. Then he saw Smith, and knew he had to set his alarm earlier in the morning.

Smith was not Mahomes’ tutor in 2017. More like a role model. He’d answer questions, sure, but the more important help was modeling how a QB1 lives. It’s funny. Smith would say the same about being a father. It’s not what you say, but what you model.

Anyway, Smith would text Mahomes late at night or early in the morning with his own schedule. If Mahomes wanted to do the same, cool.

Let’s be as clear as possible: this isn’t normal.

Flacco’s response, that’s normal.

Smith’s actions are the ideal, what we’d all be in our best and strongest moments. Reid said Mahomes should buy Smith a house for all the help. Pat Mahomes, Patrick’s father, spent 11 years in the big leagues. He’s seen plenty of young players called up to take plenty of veterans’ jobs.

He knows how this usually goes, which is why he made a point after the regular season finale — Patrick started in Denver with the playoff seeding already set — to stop Smith and thank him for all he did for Patrick.

“He’s a great kid,” Smith said in Pat’s retelling. “He’s going to be special.”

Smith took a lot of criticism in Kansas City. Some of it was justified, most of it part of the job, and at least a little patently absurd. Through it all, he helped save a franchise from dark times, stabilized a position that had long been in flux, won the franchise’s first playoff game in more than 20 years, and in the end helped bolster the future in ways that few of us would.

None of this is meant as criticism toward Flacco. He’s doing what humans do. What’s natural.

But those words shine light on Smith’s grace, unselfishness, and higher principles.

I think we’d all like to say we’d do the same. I think we all know the vast majority wouldn’t.

I read an article in which Pat Mahomes Sr. talked about coming up as a rookie in MLB, and asking a veteran pitcher about how he threw a certain pitch, only to be told to go to hell, that the vet wasn't helping some kid that was just going to take his job.

I was already excited that Mahomes would spend a year learning from Alex Smith, as it seemed Smith's strengths were exactly what were needed to temper Mahomes' weaknesses. It seemed like a perfect situation. Smith just took it to another level, and Chiefs fans could not appreciate him more. Part of why Mahomes had such a fat start was how Smith helped Mahomes get ready.

Henry Standing Bear: It is a beautiful day at the Red Pony and continual soiree.

Castiel: I suggest we imbibe copious amounts of alcohol and just wait for the inevitable blast wave.

Just months after NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock took the Oakland Raiders' GM job, his replacement Daniel Jeremiah is under serious consideration for a prominent front-office position with the Jets, sources told Schefter.

From area scout to possible "prominent front-office position" thanks to being in TV.